Clothes cleaning machine



March 14, 1933. E, G. GETTINS CLOTHES CLEANING MACHINE Filed Aug. 24, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet l mvEryToR /fdwm 6'. Geilms.

ATTORNEY Mardi 14, 1933 E, G, GETTINS CLOTHES CLEANING MACHINE 3' Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 24, 1931 INVENTOR Edwin 6'. Gellzns BY ATTOR N EY March 14, 1933. E, G, GET-HNS 1,900,927

CLOTHES CLEANING MACHINE Filed Allg. 24, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 'q @o L Wlu; d M E @i M g* N R s oo oo N N' QSO@v 00600 h o o @s RR ATTORNEY Patented Mar'. 1'4, 1933 PATENT OFFICE E DWIN e. GETTINS, or Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA CLOTHES CLEANING MAcirINE This invention vrelatesV to machines for cleaning and washing clothes, and more particularly to a machine for cleaning garments and other pieces made of silk and other delicate fabrics, with gasoline or similar cleaning fluids. y

An object of this invention is to provide a small, compact and inexpensive household clothes cleaner with which garments of silk or the like as well as garments and pieces of other delicate fabrics may be thoroughly cleaned in a particularly safe, economical, easy andexpeditious manner, and also without causing an appreciable liberation'of the noxious 'fumes of the fluid, or spilling, splashingV or otherwise dangerouslyexposing the fluid during the cleaning operation.

' Another object is to provide a cleaning machine wherein the clothes to be cleaned and the cleaning fluid are housed in a closed container-andwhereina meansoperable manually from a point. exteriorly of the container provides for forcibly moving the clothes into and out of fluid and for squeezing the clothes without removing the clothes from said container or exposing the cleaning fluid or the clothesk to ,the atmosphere during thecleaning operation.

Yet another object is to provide a cleaning or washing machine such as described wherein the clothesmay be squeezed while submerged in the cleaning fluid and while lifted clear of said fluid and also moved into and out of the fluid, all, in such manner as to insure a thorough forcing of the fluid through and an expulsion of the dirt from the clothes with a minimum of manual effort. With the foregoing objects in view, together with such other objects-and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts and in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed vand illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 isa side elevation of the machine of this invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the machine-showing the parts in the' normal Application filed August 24, 1931. Serin No. 559,010.

position assumed operation;

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the plane of line 3 3 of Figure 2;' Figures 4 to 7,'inclusive, are vertical sec- 55 tional views showing respectively the different positions assumed by the parts during a complete cleaning operation cycle;

Figure Sis a side elevation of a modified form of the machine;l f Y l Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view of the machine shown in Figure 8;*V

-Figure lO'is a sectional view taken on line lQ-lO of Figure9. v i y .The-machine of this invention as shown in detail in the accompanying drawings,A comprises a portable cleaning tank l adapted to be rested on the floor or other support and having foot rests 2 on opposite sides wherepreliminary to a cleaning by the operator may hold the tank in place 7K0 during the operation of the machine. In the present instance the tankis cylindrical and comparatively small with its upper end fully open'but adapted to be closed by a flanged Acover 3 whichis removably heldin place by 75 is 'al suitable reticulated clothes basket or container 5 Aof cylindrical form and of such dimentions'rthat it will have a loose sliding fit 85 in the tank and may be lifted clear of the level ofthe cleaning fluid indicated at A, without removing the cover 3. In the present c ase the tank may have a cleaning fluid content of approximately one-third the cubic content thereof and the clothes basket is of less height than the depth of the fluid whereby the basket may be fully submerged or raised into the upper part ofthe tank above the level of the fluid. As here'shown the basket 5 has im- 95 perforatesides 6 and perforate bottom 7 disposed above the` plane of the lower end thereof to insure unrestricted passage of fluid therethrough, and prevent contact thereof with bottom sediment, However, the basket may be otherwise reticulated if desired. Spaced parallel operating rods 8 for the basket are iixed upon a cross bar 9 the ends of which are adapted to be seated in openings 10 in opposite sides of the basket. To insert or remove this bar the sides of the basket are sprung apart suiiicient to permit of insertion or removal of said bar from the openings 10.

The ope `ating rods extend through openings 1Q in the cover 3 and have stops 14; at their upper ends. A handle 15 is freely slidably mounted on said rods so that it may be grasped at its ends on opposite sides ot the rods and moved up or down relative to the latter. However, when the handle engages the stops 1st the rods will be lifted upon lifting the handle.

To provide for retaining the clothes in the basket 5 and for squeezing the clothes therein, a perforated plunger plate 17 is reciprocally mounted within the basket beneath the cross bar 9, it being placed in the basket on top of the clothes therein before atliXation as aforesaid of said bar to the basket.

To provide for operation of the plunger and the basket also, a plunger rod 18 similar to one of the rods 8 is fixed to the center of thel plunger plate 17 and extends upward through an opening 19 in the cover 3 parallel to and between the rods 8, it being slightly7 longer than the latter.

At a point near its lower end the plunger rod 18 has a stop 2O thereon arranged to engage the cover 3 to limit the upward movement or' the plunger plate and basket to the extent shown in Figure 7. At its upper end the rod 8 has a stop 22 corresponding to the stops 11 on the rods 8, it being noted that the rod 18 passes through an opening Q3 in the center of the handle 15. A short distance below the stop 22 and below the handle 15, the rod 18 has another stop 25 which permits of downward movement of the basket and plunger plate Jfrom positions shown in Figure l to positions shown in Figure 5. The stop 25 also engages the upper end of a helical expansion spring 26 arranged on the rod 18, said spring acting to elevate the plunger from the position shown in Figure 5.

To wash or clean clothes or the like, cover 3 is removed and the entire operating structure may be lifted with the cover clear of the tank 1. Next the sides of the basket 5 are sprung apart and the bar 9 is removed from the basket and thereby permits of removal of the plunger plate 17 The proper amount of fluid is now placed in the tank and the clothes are then placed in the basket after which the plunger plate 17 is placed upon the clothes and bar 9 is fitted back in place. The operating unit is now placed in the tank and the cover 3 locked in place by the bayonet lock means 4, the parts then assuming the position shown in Figure 2. The operator now grasps the handle l5 While placing the feet on the foot rests 2 and lifts the handle whereby to bring the parts to position shown in Figure 4e.

Gn now lowering and pushing the handle 15 the basket is lowered into the fluid, the downward push being effective through the plunger' rod 18 and plate 17 when the handle engages the stop The last part of the downward push or' the basket, it will be noted, is against the action ot the spring :26 which is engaged by the stop Q5 and partly compressed in order to bring the basket to the lowermost position as shown in Figure 5. However, when the basket 5 touches the bottom of the tank the plunger plate .i7 is still subject to downward movement against the bod)r ot clothes in the basket whereby to squeeze the cfothes against the bottom ot the basket while the clothes are submerged in the l'luid. This squeezing action etl'ected by continuing the downward pressure oi the handle until the parts assume the position shown in Figure 5.

Following this the operator lifts the handle and is aided by the spring 26 which in expanding lit'ts the plunger' plate 17 and frees or loosens the clothes so as to allow free saturation thereof on the upstroke of the basket. The lifting ot the basket takes place only when the handle 15, which for the most part is lifted by the spring 2G through the stop 25, engages the stops l-il on the rods 8. Further lit'ting ol the handle now li'tts the basket and plunger entirety through the rods 8 and when the basket li'tted clear ot the fluid to the position shown in Figure G, the washing operation may be repeated. l-lowever, it it is desired to squeeze the clothes while they are suspended above the fluid, the lifting ot the handle is continued past the point necessary to raise the basket, as shown in Figure G, to the point shown in Figure 7.

This squeezing action is eiected when the stop 20 engages the under side of the cover 23 and limits upward movement ot rod 18 and plunger plate 17, because the further lifting oi' the handle at such time transmits a litt to the basket through the rods 8 and the clothes are squeezed between the bottom ot the basket and the plate 17. After this operation the handfe is pushed down to repeat the cleaning operation. It will now be seen that in the operations just described, the clothes are alternately squeezed in and out of the cleansing liquid and also freed or loosened between each squeezing operation.

This squeezing ot the clothes while out of the cleansing liquid serves to remove therefrom atleast in most part the liquid absorbed thereby together with the foreign matter contained iu the liquid dissolved from the clothes. thus rendering the washing action more rapid and eilective. But a few operations such as described are ordinarily required to thoroughly c'eau the clothes. t should be noted that the squeezing operations are optional, inasmuch as up and down rinsing of the clothes may be effected if desired with pushing the handle down or raising it suiiciently to effect the squeezing actions. These actions may be varied as desired as to the extent of squeezing dependent on the nat-ure ofthe garment or fabric being cleaned. However, squeezing of the clothes on upward stroke of the basket is desirable since this action occurs when the basket and its contents are out of the cleansing liquid and accordingly permits squeezing a major portion of the liquid out of th clothes, either preliminary to removing the latter from the machine or to again submerg ing the clothes in the liquid, thus obtaining an action similar to that employed inv washing clothes by hand where the goods are submerged in the cleansing liquid, lifted out, wrnug or squeezed, and the operations repeated until the washing action is completed when a final wringing or squeezing effected.

It should also be noted that while the machine hereof is especially designed for cleansing clothes with gasoline and like fluids, it could be used in washing small garments of de icate fabrics, in soap` and water in the manner of the ordinary washing machine.

In Figures 8, 9 and/10, I have shown a modified form of the machine wherein the same operations are provided with slightly different operating means. In this formof the invention the basket 80, plunger plate 3l and tank 32 are the same in construction and arrangement as are the corresponding parts of the first described machine. I-Iowever, a single rod 33 is provided for operating the basket, and a tubulai rod SES-l operates the plunger pla-te 3l, the rod 34 telescoping and extending above the rod V33. A handle is slidable on the rod 34@ and engages a stop 36 on the upper end of rod 3B when moved upvard and a stop 37 on the rod 34 whenmoved downward. Y

To effect the downward squeezing action with this machine, the downward push is transmitted to the plunger plate through the rod 34C when the basket rests on the bottom of the tank. To effect the squeezing action when the basket is raised, the operator lifts the plunger rod 34 until the stop 38 thereon engages the cover 39 and thereafter by continued lifting of the handle against the stop 36 lifts the basket whereby to squeeze the clothes between the bottom of the basket and the plate 17. In all other respects the reciprocating washing or rinsing action is the same as provided in the other form of the invention.

I claim:

l. In a clothes cleaning machine, a tank adapted to contain a cleaning fluid, a basket mounted for vertical reciprocal movement within said tank and adapted to contain clothes to be cleaned, a plunger plate mounted in vsaid basket for limited vertical reciprocal movement above the clothes therein, a cover closing said tank, means for reciprocating said basket, and plate, and means for moving the basket upward further than said plate to'squeeze the clothes therein.

2. In a clothes cleaning machine, a tank adapted to contain a cleaning fluid, a basket mounted for vertical reciprocal movement within said tank and adapted vto contain clothes to be cleaned, a plunger plate mounted C in saidbasket for limited vertical reciprocal movement above the clothes therein, a cover closing said tank, and means operable eX- teriorly ofsaid tank for simultaneously and relatively reciprocating said basket and 5 plunger, said basket having a perforated bottom disposed above the plane of the lower end of the basket to prevent contact of the bottom with sediment in the bottom of the tank.

3. In a clothes cleaning machine, a tank adapted to contain a cleaning fluid, a basket within said tank adapted to contain Vclothes to be cleaned, a plunger plate within said basket arranged to extend above clothes in t Vthe latter, said basket and plate being mounted for vertical reciprocal movement in said tank, means for limiting downward movement of said basket in said tank, means for limiting upwardpmovement of said plate 'L vtically reciprocating said basket and pla-te,

and means for limiting upward movement of said plate relative to upward movement of said basket; said basket and plate reciprocating means including means for advancing said plate downwardly relative to said basket, and means for advancing said basket upwardly relative'to said plate beyond the limit of upward movement ofthe latter.

5. In a clothes washing machine, a tank, a cover for said tank, a basket mounted in said tank for vertical reciprocable movement therein, an operating rod connected to said basket extending upwardly through said cover, a plunger plate mounted in said basket for vertical reciprocable movement relative thereto, a plunger rod connected to said plate extending upwardly parallel with said operat ing rod, a handle slidably carried on said rods, a projection on said operating rod engagealble by said handle on upward movement thereof, a. projection on said plunger rod cngageable by said handle on downward movement thereof, and means for limiting upward movement of said plunger rod to arrest movement of said plunger plate during upward movement of said baske y. I 6. In a clothes cleaning machine, a tank, a Cover thereon, a` basket within said tank, a. vertically reeiproeable operating rod connected to said basket leading upwardly through said Cover, a stop on the upper end of said operating rod, a handle slidable relative to said rod longitudinally thereof and adapted to engage said stop on upward movement of said handle, a plunger plate within said basket, a vertically reeiproeable plunger 515 rod connected to said plate leading upwardly through said Cover and passing freely through said handle, and a stop on said plunger rod beneath said handle arranged to be engaged by the latter ou downward movement therel20 oi.

i". In a Clothes cleaning machine, a tank, a Cover thereon` a basket within said tank, a vertically reeiproeable operating rod oonnected to said basket leading upwardly l5 through said cover, a stop on the upper end of said operating rod, a handle slidable relative to said rod longitudinally thereof and adapted to engage said stop on upward movement of said handle, a plunger plate within said basket, a vertically reeiproeable plunger rod Connected to said plate leading upwardly through said Cover and passing freely through said handle, a stop on said plunger rod beneath said handle arranged to be en- 55 gaged by the latter on downward movement thereof, and means Jfor limiting upward movement ot said plunger rod relative to said operating rod.

EDVIN G. GETTINS. 

